National Republican., 1887-01-20
COAST DEFENSEs.
The Importance of Immediate Work
Urged by Prominent Visitors From
the East.


The Importance of Immediate Work
Urged by Prominent Visitors From
the East.
Representatives OF the Chamber OF Com
merce and the Board of Trade and Trans
portatlon Of New York, aud the New Haven
delegates to the National Board OF Trade,
appeared before the subcommittee on fortl.
flcations Of the House appropriations COM
mittee to express their views upon the mat.
ter of coast defense.
BY invitation Of the subcommittee most
Of the members Of the full committee at
tended the meeting Addresses were made
by Capt Ambrose Snow, w. II. Webb, a
retired shipbuilder; N. s. Bentley, ex.Rep-
resentative Calkins and G.. Waldo Smith,
OF New York, and Capt. Charles Hervey
Townshend, of New Haven. Conn, a
sound and Sand Hook pilot and retired
shipbuilder.
All Of these gentlemen urged the imme-
diate necessity OF government action in
providing sea.coast defenses, and suggested
in view Of the fact that IL would take many
years to construct steel forts and high
power guns that the government should i'm
mediately construct u number OF prolectlle
rams, torpedo, and mortar batteries.
Capt. Townshend dwelt especially upon
the importance OF constructing ten or llf-
teen rams of the cigar or Wlnnns system.
These boats should be built of white oak
timber, he said, made solid for distance OF
q hundred feet or moro at the bow aud
stern, so as to be non sinkable by shot or
shell, and propelled by twin screws shell
tered from fire beneath the vessels bottom,
with heavy steel plated bows. This class OF
vessels, he said, would be able to sink any
armored ship anoat, while they might be
easily transported from one point on the
coast TO another.
He also advocated the protection OF Long
Island sound by heavy steeclal monitor
turreted forts at the Race. He dwelt upon
the necessity OF a similar steel fort at the
New Haven breakwater. Long Island
sound, he said, was an inland sea that
would afford good anchorage at all times,
and might easily be made a center of opera
tions by hostile fleet. Defenses on the
sound he regarded as OF more consequence
to New York City than at the Sandy Hook
entrance, which was In manner, he said,
protected from heavy draft vessels by its
bar. Another detail OF Mr.. Townshend's
plan was the construction of line OF earth
works along the shores OF New York har-
bor and the East river.
The other speakers also urged the neccs.
sity OF building these rams for Immediate
use. 1t was estimated that the vessels
could be constructed at cost OF $3.50, 900
apiece, and put ailoat within twelve
months
Mr.. Bentley attached special importance
to the construction of mortar batteries. He
said New York harbor was so thoroughly
surveyed that 1t would be possible for
mortar concealed In q pit to be discharged
with such accuracy by the direction Of an
observer posted In safe position as to
drop a shell into almost any point that
could be occupied by vessel. The mortar
Ia11x
powered and costly steel gun, through the
fact that the latter was often so obscured
by smoke after discharge that the vessel
sought to be attacked would be able to
steam mile before another shot could be
fired with any chance of hitting the target.